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  • Minor League Notes

    Notes about the team are posted here.

    11 rumors in this category

      Kevin O'Brien

      On Tuesday, Raising Royals, the Kansas City Royals Professional Development account, shared the 2026 Opening Day roster for the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, the Royals' Double-A affiliate. 

      The Naturals kick off their season on Thursday on the road in Wichita, the Double-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. They are looking to improve on their 66-72 record from a season ago (they finished fourth in the Texas League North Division). 

      Northwest Arkansas will feature a good number of prospects who were on our 2026 Top-20 prospects list at Royals Keep. Here is a list of those prospects and their respective ranking.

      Beam and Arronde are the most accomplished pitchers of the group, both coming off solid seasons in High-A Quad Cities in 2025. Beam posted a 3.83 ERA and led the River Bandits in strikeouts with 110 in 131.2 IP. Arronde pitched three fewer innings but posted a 2.82 ERA and struck out 101 batters. The former Tennessee Volunteer pitcher had a better FIP (3.35) than the Cuban-born righty (3.87). 

      Vazquez had a good campaign in the Arizona Fall League, hitting .329 with a .928 OPS in 98 plate appearances for Surprise. He also posted excellent Statcast percentiles, as illustrated in his TJ Stats profile below.

      Daniel_Vazquez_percentiles.png

      Vazquez ranked in the 94th percentile in BB% and 92nd percentile in hard-hit rate. If he can combine those two traits in his stint in Double-A, then he could make a case for a spot in Triple-A Omaha sooner rather than later. 

      Roccaforte will begin the year again in Northwest Arkansas, where he finished last year.

      In 45 games in 2025, he had a solid Double-A campaign, hitting .290 with an .862 OPS with the Naturals in 212 plate appearances. The former Louisiana-Lafayette product also showed some nice progress this spring in Cactus League play, showcasing excellent hard-hit skills and plate discipline.

      Carson_Roccaforte_percentiles.png

      Even though he looked very good in Double-A in 2025, the Royals opted to have him start the year in Northwest Arkansas to begin 2026, especially with so many veteran outfielders in Triple-A Omaha at the moment. 

      Lastly, Mozzicato enters a crucial year that could make or break him as a prospect in the Royals system. The former first-round pick was poor in Northwest Arkansas, posting a 7.46 ERA in 17 outings and 56.2 IP. He also had a -1.8% K-BB%, highlighted by a a 19.4% BB%. 

      The Connecticut prep lefty made two appearances in Spring Training and posted a 13.50 ERA in two innings of work. He struggled heavily with throwing strikes and generating chase and whiff, and while his four-seamer was promising on a TJ Stuff+ end (102 TJ Stuff+), the rest of his repertoire was mediocre in Arizona.

      tjstats_season_summary (15).png

      There is hope that Mozzicato could turn into an MLB reliever like Daniel Lynch IV in a year or two. For that to happen, however, he will need to do a better job of throwing strikes in Northwest Arkansas (for starters). 

      Kevin O'Brien

      On Monday afternoon, the Royals' Player Development account announced that pitcher Kendry Chourio would be promoted to the High-A Quad Cities River Bandits.

       

      Chourio is the No. 1 Royals prospect at Royals Keep and is a Top-100 prospect according to many outlets, including Baseball America and MLB Pipeline. He will join lefty David Shields, our No. 2 Royals prospect, in the River Bandits rotation. 

      In 11 starts and 48 IP with the Columbia Fireflies this year, the 18-year-old Venezuelan-born pitcher posted a 1.88 ERA, a 0.92 WHIP, a 23.4% K%, and 18.6% K-BB%. His 3.56 FIP in Low-A was higher than his ERA, but Chourio possesses elite stuff and showcased strong ability to generate grounders (43.8% GB%) and pop-ups (25% IFFB%). Chourio's fastball sits in the upper 90s, and many believe he could be a starter in the mold of Yordano Ventura at the MLB level.

       

      No word has been made on who will replace Chourio in the Columbia rotation or if Shields will be moving up to Northwest Arkansas soon to join fellow lefty Justin Lamkin, who was recently promoted from Quad Cities to Northwest Arkansas.

      Royals fans can vote on where Chourio, Shields, Lamkin, and other prospects rank in our June prospect rankings in the Tweet below.

       

      Kevin O'Brien

      On Thursday, the Omaha Storm Chasers shared their 2026 Opening Day roster. Their Opening Day will be on Friday in Louisville against the Bats, the Cincinnati Reds' Triple-A affiliate. 

      The Storm Chasers roster has a mix of veteran talent trying to reach the Majors and prospects looking to make gains in the Minor Leagues before making their MLB debuts. Omaha has ten players on the Royals' 40-man roster, with eight of those being pitchers. 

       

      Pitching may be the strength of this Omaha team. The rotation is deep with Luinder Avila, Ryan Bergert, Mason Black, Ben Kudrna, and Mitch Spence all in the mix. Those five pitchers are all on the 40-man roster and have MLB experience, with the exception of Kudrna. 

      They also have some crafty veterans looking to take one last shot in the Major Leagues. Aaron Sanchez was once an "ace-level" arm with the Blue Jays, and he had a decent spring with the Royals. In 10 IP, he posted a 4.50 ERA, 1.60 WHIP, 4.55 FIP, and 4.7% K-BB%. While he didn't generate a ton of whiffs or chase, he was effective in terms of limiting hard contact this spring.

      tjstats_season_summary (11).png

       

      Jose Cuas is also a former Royals reliever who had some fleeting success in Kansas City not too long ago. He will provide bullpen depth in addition to a veteran presence in the clubhouse.

      In terms of young arms, Steven Cruz is the most accomplished bullpen arm, having posted a 3.74 ERA and 4.11 FIP in 45.2 IP last season. He has a big fastball, and this spring, he had a 17.4% K-BB% and 108 overall TJ Stuff+. 

       

      tjstats_season_summary (12).png

      Other arms to watch in Omaha include Shane Panzini, Brandon Johnson, Eric Cerantola, Ryan Ramsey, and Beck Way. It would not be surprising to see one of these young pitching prospects emerge as a possible candidate for mid-season call-up, especially if an injury besets a reliever on the Royals' active roster. 

      In terms of bats, many of the expected producers for the Storm Chasers are veterans.

      Catcher Elias Diaz was a late addition to the Spring Training roster, but he had a solid spring in a limited sample. In 15 plate appearances, the former All-Star Rockies catcher had a .533 average, and he sported excellent Statcast percentiles, especially in terms of exit velocity and hard-hit rate, as illustrated below.

      Elias_D_az_percentiles.png

      The infield is flush with veterans, as Brandon Drury, Josh Rojas, Kevin Newman, and Abraham Toro will all compete for playing time in the Omaha infield. The lone infield prospect is Peyton Wilson, who had a good 2025 in Double-A but struggled in his transition to Triple-A.

      In terms of the outfield, Gavin Cross is the lone prospect, though he needs to have a better season in 2026 to stay relevant in the Royals system. In 39 plate appearances, Cross hit .270 with a .767 OPS. He showed strong skills this spring, especially in terms of exit velocity, barrel rate, and hard-hit rate. However, the former Virginia Tech product still struck out and whiffed way too much in Arizona.

      Gavin_Cross_percentiles.png

      Cross's whiff% ranked in the 12th percentile, and his K% ranked in the second percentile. Thus, it would be nice to see Cross show some progress in those areas in Omaha, especially since the power has seemed to tick back up this spring.

      Lastly, Kameron Misner and John Rave are outfielders who got cups of coffee with the Rays and Royals last season. Both have some upside, but are likely fourth outfielders at the Major League level. Misner has more upside than Rave, especially with Misner posting a .455 xwOBA and .808 OPS this spring. 

       

      Kevin O'Brien

       

      After the Royals' 4-1 victory over the Braves in the series finale, the Royals made an announcement on social media regarding the future of outfielder Drew Waters, who was designated for assignment last Wednesday.

       

      Waters has struggled at the Major League level with the Royals, who acquired him in a 2022 MLB trade with the Atlanta Braves, who initially drafted him. Last year, as a 26-year-old, he produced a .243 batting average, .604 OPS, and .268 wOBA in 219 plate appearances with the Royals. Over his career, he has an 84 wRC+ and accumulated 0.7 fWAR in 684 plate appearances. 

      As a result of his mediocre campaign in 2025, Waters had to earn his spot on the Royals roster this spring, especially with him being out of Minor League options.

      However, he didn't impress in Cactus League play. In 36 plate appearances, he hit .188 with a .531 OPS and struck out 22.3% of the time. His Statcast percentiles weren't impressive either, especially in the batted-ball and plate-discipline categories. 

      Drew_Waters_percentiles (1).png

      Waters likely will have a regular role as an outfielder in Omaha. He will compete for at-bats with John Rave, Kameron Misner, and Gavin Cross. Rave and Misner are on the 40-man roster, while Cross is not, but is trying to make his MLB debut at some point in 2026. The Storm Chasers struggled in their Opening Series of 2026, getting swept by the Louisville Bats, the Cincinnati Reds' Triple-A affiliate. 

      Cory Moen

      The Royals have acquired RHP Nate Pearson from the Houston Astros. Pearson was designated for assignment on July 19. In return, the Royals have sent prospect RHP Max Martin to Houston.

      Pearson had had decent results in the majors for the Astros, with a 3.60 ERA and 4.10 FIP over 20 innings pitched. He's appeared in 16 games, with 16 strikeouts and 12 walks in that time.

      Pearson, a former first-round pick by the Toronto Blue Jays (28th overall in 2017), is a six-year vet who is under team control through arbitration through the 2027 season. He's currently making $1.35 million this year, so he is still very affordable for a team looking to add to its bullpen depth. 

      Martin has pitched between Single-A and High-A this year, pitching in 26 games, throwing 40 1/3 innings, recording 36 strikeouts with 13 walks. Martin was a 10th round pick in the 2025 draft. 

      Cory Moen

      The Royals have signed LHP Aaron Bummer to a minor league deal. Bummer opted out of his minor league deal with the Cubs on July 17.

      Bummer pitched in the major leagues with the Braves earlier this year without much success. He pitched 15 1/3 innings, giving up 13 earned runs and striking out 13 with 10 walks.

      Bummer was released by the Braves and signed with the Cubs in late May. He made six appearances in the minor leagues for the Cubs, pitching six innings, during which he gave up four runs on eight hits.

      Bummer's best season was in 2019 with the Chicago White Sox, where he was worth 2.7 bWAR over 67 2/3 innings pitched. He pitched with the White Sox through 2023 before being traded to Atlanta, where he was until he was released earlier this year.

      Over his 10-year career, Bummer has a 3.94 ERA and 3.44 FIP over 406 appearances and 397 innings.

      Bummer has reported to Triple-A Omaha. 

      Kevin O'Brien

       

      On Saturday morning, the Royals' Player Development account announced that they had signed left-handed pitcher Matt Moore to a Minor League contract. 

      The 37-year-old pitcher is best known for his time with Tampa Bay, as he pitched seven shutout innings in Game 1 of the 2011 ALDS against the Texas Rangers. He made his first and only appearance in the All-Star Game with the Rays in 2013. That season, he posted a 3.29 ERA and 1.7 fWAR in 27 starts and 150.1 IP. 

      While his best years came early in his career with the Tampa Bay Rays, he also found some success with the San Francisco Giants. In a split season with the Rays and Giants in 2016, he posted a 4.08 ERA and 2.0 fWAR in 33 starts and 198.1 IP, both career-highs. He struggled the next season as a starter with the Giants (5.52 ERA in 174.1 IP) and in 2018 with the Rangers (6.79 ERA in 102 IP). After pitching in only two games with the Tigers in 2019, he moved to Japan and posted a 2.65 ERA over 78 IP with the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks in 2020.

      In 2022, Moore moved to the bullpen and thrived in the role with the Rangers. In 63 appearances and 74.1 IP, he posted a 1.95 ERA and 1.3 fWAR. He served a similar role with three teams in 2023: the Angels, Marlins, and Guardians. In 52.2 IP among the three teams, he posted a 2.56 ERA and 0.6 fWAR.

      In 2024, he returned to the Angels but failed to duplicate his 2022 and 2023 reliever success. In 48.1 IP, he produced a 5.03 ERA and -0.8 fWAR. According to his TJ Stuff+ summary from 2024, he produced a decent whiff rate and xwOBACON, but his stuff was slightly subpar, and he struggled to find consistency in terms of zone and chase rates. 

      tjstats_season_summary (93).png

      Moore signed a Minor League deal with the Red Sox in February of 2025, but did not make an appearance with the Worcester Red Sox due to arm soreness. He was released and not picked up by a team for the remainder of 2025. Moore was not pitching for a baseball team this year prior to this signing. 

      The Royals have been adding pitching depth to their system with so many pitchers on the IL. As of now, Alec Marsh, James McArthur, Cole Ragans, and Carlos Estevez are on the 60-Day IL, and Kris Bubic and Nick Mears are on the 15-Day IL. Kansas City acquired Connor Seabold from the Blue Jays and Randy Dobnak from the Mariners earlier this week. Dobnak made his Storm Chasers debut on Friday night. 

       

      Kevin O'Brien

       

      On Tuesday, the Royals signed left-handed pitcher Anthony Gose to a Minor League deal and assigned him to Triple-A Omaha. 

      Gose was playing in the Mexican League this year with Yucatan and performed well in six appearances. In 7.2 IP, Gose allowed no runs, no walks, two hits, and struck out 15 batters. Not only was Gose's ERA 0.00, but he also posted a 0.26 WHIP with Yucatan. Thus, the Royals are hoping that Gose could be a low-risk, high-upside arm that could give them much-needed bullpen depth in Omaha.

      The 35-year-old was a former position-player prospect ranked as a Top-100 prospect in baseball while in the Blue Jays organization. Despite elite arm strength and speed, he struggled with hitting for contact at the Minor League level. As a result, he transitioned to pitching in 2017 and found more success. 

      Gose made the Majors as a pitcher and posted a career 4.78 ERA and 1.34 WHIP in 31 appearances and 32 IP, all with the Guardians. He was known for his high-velocity fastball and strikeout ability, as illustrated by his career 11.5 K/9 with Cleveland. Unfortunately, the last time he played at the MLB level was in 2024, when he made only 3 appearances with the Guardians and posted a 10.38 ERA.

      The former Top-100 prospect primarily pitched in Triple-A in 2025 with the Mets and Diamondbacks organizations. In 37 IP, he posted a 4.62 ERA, 1.57 WHIP, and 24.3% K%. He also showed some intriguing stuff and the ability to generate whiffs in his time in Triple-A in 2025, as seen below via his TJ Stats summary.

      tjstats_season_summary (20).png

      Gose isn't on the 40-man roster, so the Royals will likely keep him in Omaha for the time being. However, if any of the Royals' relievers get hurt, he could make a push for a spot on the active roster, especially if he's able to continue to throw a four-seamer in the mid to upper-90s. 

      Kevin O'Brien

       

      On Thursday afternoon, the Royals announced that they had signed former closer Scott Barlow on a Minor League deal. 

      Barlow pitched with the Royals from 2018 to 2023, serving as the team's closer in his last three years. Over that time frame, the righty saved 53 games with Kansas City. During his 5 1/2 years with the Royals, the former Dodgers draft pick produced a 6.7 bWAR, a 3.39 ERA, a 1.25 WHIP, and a 2.98 K/BB ratio. 

      The Royals traded Barlow to the Padres at the 2023 Trade Deadline for pitching prospects Henry Williams and Jesus Rios (only Williams remains in the organization). After finishing the 2023 season with the Padres (3.07 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in 29.1 IP), he ended up pitching for the Guardians in 2024 (4.25 ERA in 55 IP) and the Reds in 2025 (4.21 ERA in 68.1 IP). 

      This season, Barlow pitched 36 games with the Athletics and struggled in 33.1 IP. He posted a 6.48 ERA in Sacramento, a career-worst mark. As a result, the Athletics designated Barlow for assignment on June 21st and ended up releasing him on June 24th.

      With a lack of bullpen depth and Kris Bubic recently added to the 60-Day IL, the Royals are looking for Barlow to provide a veteran presence in Triple-A Omaha and perhaps Kansas City, if needed. While the overall numbers aren't great, and the TJ Stuff+ marks are subpar (97 overall TJ Stuff+), he still generates strikes at a high level, as illustrated by his CSW and whiff rates below.

      Scott_Barlow_percentiles.png

      The 33-year-old will likely start in Omaha. However, he could move up to Kansas City quickly, especially with the Royals needing fresh arms for a tough series against the Phillies this weekend at Kauffman Stadium, and a looming road trip to Queens (the Mets) and Baltimore (Orioles) before the All-Star Break. 

      Barlow is the second former Royals reliever to return to the organization this year. Jose Cuas made his 2026 Royals debut on Wednesday, allowing one run and striking out three Rays hitters in two innings of work. He also posted a TJ Stuff+ of 100 and a decent xwOBACON of .350, as seen below via his TJ Stuff+ summary.

      tjstats_season_summary - 2026-07-02T132833.464.png

      Cuas hadn't pitched in the Majors since 2024, and he last pitched with the Royals in 2023. That season, he posted a 4.54 ERA and 1.61 WHIP in 41.2 IP before being traded to the Chicago Cubs at the Trade Deadline for Nelson Velazquez. 

       

      Kevin O'Brien

       

      On Friday, Raising Royals, the Royals' Professional Development account, announced that they had signed MLB veteran relievers Luke Jackson and Genesis Cabrera to Minor League deals. Both pitchers are expected to report to Triple-A Omaha.

      Jackson and Cabrera are older players, at 34 and 29, respectively. They should add some much-needed depth to the Storm Chasers bullpen, which has struggled outside of Eric Cerantola, Beck Way, Jose Cuas, and Andrew Perez. Furthermore, Jackson and Cabrera are bullpen arms that could fill in at the MLB level should injury befall someone in the Royals bullpen.

      The 34-year-old Jackson comes over from the Mets organization, as he pitched in 7.2 innings total between Triple-A and Low-A ball. The righty was semi-productive with the Texas Rangers a year ago, posting a 4.11 ERA in 35.1 IP. However, his FIP was much higher at 5.01, and his K% and K-BB% were paltry at 15.8% and 3.3%, respectively.

      In 4.2 IP with the Syracuse Mets, Jackson posted an 11.57 ERA, 1.93 WHIP, and 6.74 FIP. He also had a -22.7% K-BB%. On a positive note, his TJ Stuff+ profile was pretty solid, so he could rebound a bit if he can hone his command a bit in Omaha.

      tjstats_season_summary (50).png

      Jackson had a 106 TJ Stuff+ overall with three pitchers (changeup, slider, and four-seamer) with TJ Stuff+ marks of 100 or higher. He also limited hard contact, with a .300 xwOBACON overall. However, his whiff rate (19.4%), chase rate (23.6%), and zone rate (40.2%) were all paltry, illustrating his issues with command in Syracuse. 

      As for Cabrera, he was last in the Phillies organization, pitching for the Triple-A Leigh Valley Iron Pigs this season.

      In 15 appearances and 17.1 IP with the Iron Pigs, he posted a 10.38 ERA and 1.79 WHIP. However, his FIP was much better at 4.54, and he showed a strong ability to maximize strikeouts and minimize walks. He had a 26.8% K% and 15.9% K-BB%, both solid marks for a reliever. What hurt him the most in Triple-A was the long ball, as he allowed a HR/FB% of 17.6%.

      When it comes to TJ Stuff+, he hasn't been as impressive as Jackson. That said, he showed a much better ability to generate swing-and-miss in Triple-A this year than the right-handed reliever. 

      tjstats_season_summary (49).png

      Cabrera had a 99 overall TJ Stuff+ with only two pitches hitting the 100 mark (his sinker and changeup). That said, he did generate a 29.9% chase and 32.6% whiff rate, both above-average marks. His xwOBACON was a bit average overall at .373, but he did a good job of minimizing hard contact on his sinker and curveball, as illustrated by his .304 and .260 xwOBACON marks, respectively.

      The big key for Cabrera will be finding the strike zone, as he only had a 44.1% zone rate with the Iron Pigs this season. Both have Minor League contracts, so they will need to be added to the 40-man roster to get a call-up to the Major Leagues this season. 

       

      Cory Moen

      The Royals have traded OF Rudy Martin Jr to the Orioles in return for cash considerations.

      Martin Jr is a 30-year-old outfield prospect who was a former 25th-round pick by the Royals back in 2014. He climbed up the minor league ranks in his first stint with the Royals and got up to Triple-A Omaha back in 2019. He returned to Triple-A Omaha in 2021 and was granted free agency after the 2021 season.

      He played the 2022 season in the Washington Nationals organization and then played in Independent Ball in 2023 and 2024. He played in the Mexican Winter League in 2024-2025 prior to re-signing with the Royals for the 2025 season. 

      He's played the majority of the 2026 season in Double-A but earned a call-up to Triple-A. Between the two levels, he slashed for a .284/.414/.441 across 255 plate appearances. He's walked at a 16.1% rate and struck out at a 23.5% rate as well. He also has eight home runs and 33 stolen bases on the year. 

      He had an upward mobility clause in his contract that he triggered, and the Orioles chose to add him to their 40-man roster, which was the first time in his career that he earned a 40-man roster spot. It will be interesting to see if the long-time minor leaguer can earn his first major league call-up with Baltimore. 

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